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Solving Issues Surrounding Asian Elephant Welfare

Asian Captive Elephant Working Group

Recognising the urgent need to create more awareness about both the problems and the possible solutions, as well as provide recommendations to improve health care and management practices for captive elephants in South East Asia, a group of regional elephant specialists, veterinarians, researchers and conservationists formed the Asian Captive Elephant Working Group (ACEWG).

ACEWG Believes:

–Closing all elephant tourism camps is not a realistic option for a variety of reasons and releasing captive elephants back into the wild should be explored, but is currently not an option for a large majority of captive elephants.

-The use of elephants in tourist camps has raised global concerns and public debate. It is evident that although there are no simple solutions, more research is required to scientifically guide the development of protocols to appropriately address welfare concerns and to further improve management systems.

-Elephants are intelligent and mobile animals with a highly developed social structure. They have complex needs and in captivity require professional management and care protocols.

-A formal elephant registration program, particularly in those countries without an existing program, is urgently needed and will help to reduce the illegal capture and trade of elephants. Existing formal elephant registration programs must be properly enforced.

-A certification program for elephant tourism camps is urgently needed. This has the potential to encourage the development of a much-needed registration system for all captive elephants, enforce best practices for welfare, improve training opportunities for mahouts, and provide a means by which camps that follow best practices are rewarded by greater financial viability.

Watch our video on the situation for captive elephants in Asia and why the ACEWG was formed.

The Asian Captive Elephant Working Group is a group of dedicated elephant specialists, veterinarians, researchers, camp managers and conservationists, we recognise the urgency to, proactively and with sound scientific knowledge, address the current situation of elephants in tourism in South East Asia.